Royals stadium proposal

Passed during a special session of the Missouri legislature in 2025, the law allows the state to help pay for new stadiums or renovations for professional teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.

Kansas City is dishing out a lot of money for new development plans, specifically toward the Country Club Plaza and Royals downtown ballpark. How do the two projects stack up against each other — and why does Kansas City feel like it needs to give those owners public funding?

The 11-page "community impact partnership agreement" commits at least $55 million to Kansas City over 30 years — approximately 9 cents back for every dollar the city is investing. Here’s what the public gets and how it compares to other deals.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss the city council's $600 million funding package for a new Royals ballpark, what he'd like to see in the city's next police chief, the future of the Country Club Plaza and more.

Sports economists looking at the $600 million deal between the Royals and the Kansas City Council aren’t very impressed. The quickly-passed measure leaves many unanswered questions about where the public funds will come from, how much risk Kansas City will take on, and if the economic benefits will actually pan out.

The Kansas City Council voted 11-2 to commit $600 million to the Royals for a new ballpark. Here’s a look at the political and financial math behind the deal.

After the Kansas City Council approved $600 million in funding for a new Crown Center ballpark on Thursday, Councilmember Crispin Rea called the deal a major accomplishment for the city. It will hold the Royals to $55 million over 30 years for community improvements, but some community groups say that's not enough — and want a public vote.

Public funds from city and state sources would contribute 60% of the cost for the Crown Center stadium, possibly through tax-exempt bonds. The Royals will have "no obligation to repay or otherwise support payment of” those bonds, leaving the city to cover any shortfalls.

After several hours of debate and testimony, Kansas City Council's finance committee approved two ordinances that dedicate $600 million in city funding and rezone land for a Crown Center ballpark. Critics remain furious the cost to taxpayers won't get a public vote.

Kansas City could approve a deal with the Royals within the next two weeks. But the public still doesn’t know where the $600 million will come from or whether the city was successful in negotiating community benefits.

The 6th district council member told KCUR's Up To Date on Thursday that his constituents want the city to negotiate a stadium deal that is more beneficial to residents. He said they also want more transparency from Kansas City's leaders.

A city council committee pushed back discussions on bonds and lease agreements for a downtown Royals stadium. Critics say that still isn’t enough time to learn about the financing deal, and have turned in thousands of signatures to force a public vote.